Tube-forming ring



June 10, 1958 Filed Aug. 24, 1953 A. F. STOLITZKA TUBE-FORMING RING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. ALEXANDER F. S'I'OLITZKA ZLZA ATTY.

June 1953 A. F. STOLITZKA 2,837,766

TUBE-FORMING RING Filed Aug. 24, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALEXANDER F. STOLITZKA BY I ATTY;

June 10, 1958 A. F. SQTOLITZKA 2,837,766

TUBE-FORMING RING 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1953 v v 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 i INVENTORM 5 3- ALEXANDER F. STOLITZKA ATTY.

United States. Patent This invention relates to a clam-shell type tube-forming ring to be used in shaping the inner tube of a tire prior to vulcanization.

Prior to shaping on the ring of this invention, the

fabrication of the tube is completed, including'theattacu ment of the valve. The uncured tube is put on the'tubeforming ring. While on the ring the tube is inflated with just the amount of air or other gas required for proper vulcanization. The tube is then transferred to the vulcanizer, and here it is cured.

The tube-forming ring of this invention includes any annular support and a cover adapted to be brought down over--the support,'both formed fromspun metal, The outeredge "of the' bottom portion of thejsupport inclines upwardlyto hold "thetube' in"the;grfe en condition, and

prevent its sliding-outwardly "oil the support. The support is designed to accommodate the valve stem and preferably there is a vertical slot extending from the upper edge of the support with a plate over the slot, and an opening in the plate for the valve stem. The plate is adjustably mounted so that regardless of the diameter of the tube held on the support, the opening for the valve stem can be brought to the proper position.

The annular support and cover are both formed of spun metal and the edges are rolled. The cover is provided with spring means which keeps it normally open. There is a releasable lock to fasten the cover closed over the annular support. Spring tensioning means is provided so that the tension of the spring can be kept more or less uniform even though the spring loses tension on aging.

To operate the tube-forming ring the lock is released and the cover springs open. The green tube is laid in the annular support with the valve stem in the opening in the plate, or in the slot if there is no plate. The cover is the closed and the tube is inflated. The experienced operator knows from the size of the tube when the required amount of air or other gas has been introduced into it. When the tube has been inflated to the proper extent the lock is again released and the cover flies open. The tube is then transferred to the vulcanizer and a fresh tube is laid in the annular support, and the operation is repeated.

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- a Fig. l is a plan view of the tube-forming ring;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l and shows the cover open in dot-dash lines;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the ring on the line 33 of Fig. 4; and a Fig. 4 is a side view which clearly shows the springtensioning mechanism.

The tube-forming ring is preferably supported on a base member. This base is of any suitable construction.

.The base shown in the drawing is formed of two angular tion.

the drawing, the plates 8 are. welded to the underside of the spun annular support 10 at'each side thereof;

the upper angular supports 23 by bolts 25. The spun.

cover 27 is welded to the angles 23 at 28. The. upper cross angle 30 is welded to the'fronts of the ears .20

and is bolted through the shim 21 to the longitudinal upper supports 23 by bolts 25.

There is a coil spring 35 fastened to the inner surface of each rear post 16. The split pin 36 which serves as the .axis for the. springs, holds the inner ends of the respective springs, and these are closed'by the cotter pins 38. The guide plates or washers 39 prevent thehalves of thepin 36 from spreading and separate the springs from the cotter pinse The machine bolts 41 pass through the spring-tensioning plate 43 and the posts 16 and 17, and are threaded into the split. pin. 36. The outer 'end 45 of each coil spring presses againstthefront surface.

of the upper angle ,30. v The tensioning plates 43 move with the axes of their respective springs.v A,.screw 48 is inserted. in one of the tensioning holes 49 and sc'rewed into theipost 17 to place any desired tension on the spring. "This controlsthe speed with which'the" cover flies 'opeii'when the lock is unlatched.

Any means may be used for holding the cover down. The drawings illustrate the latch 50 which terminates at its lower end in the hook 51. The hook is releasably engaged by the stop 52. The plate 53, welded to the latch at its upper bend, is held by the bolt 54 and nut 55 between the two angles 56 which are held by bolts 57 to the plate 58 which is welded to the top of the spun cover. The spring 59 tends to lift the handle of the latch and keep the hook 51 engaged with the stop 52 when the cover is down. By depressing the front end of the latch handle 50 the lock is released and the coil springs 35 throw the cover upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2. The plates 60, fastened across the rear of the supports 16 and 17, prevent the cover from rising any further than desired.

Slot 63 is provided in the upper edge of the annular support 10. The valve stem of the tube being treated may be placed in this slot. It is not necessary to provide a valve-stem plate, but in the drawings the plate 65 is provided for this purpose. It includes the valve-stem hole 66 and slots 67 through which bolts 68. are screwed into the outer surface of the annular support 10. By loosening the bolts 68 the plate 65 can be adjusted to any desired height.

When a tube is to be treated the cover is opened, as shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 2. The green tube with valve afiixed is laid-on the annular floor of the support 10 and the valve stem is inserted through the opening of the plate 65 of the valve-stem hole 66. If there is no plate 65 the valve stem merely projects through the slot 63. The'valve stem is connected with a supply of compressed air or other gas, and the cover 27 is lowered and locked by the latch 50. The tube is then inflated and the experienced operator knows that when it comfortably fills the opening 69 between the annular support 10 and the cover 27, the tube contains sufi'icient gas for vulcaniza- The supply of gas is then shut oif, the cover 27 is thrown open by depressing the handle of the latch 50, the tube is removed from the forming ring and put in a PatentedJ une 10, 1958 3 vulcanizer. The equipment is then ready for the treatment of another tube.

The tube-forming ring may be made of any desired size. The annular support extends outwardly so that its ,outer edge 70 is inclined upwardly. Thus an uninflated green tube can be easily supported on this annular support. The outer edges of the cover 27 and support 10 may extend toward one another to any desired distance. They may come close to one another, or, as in the tubeforming ring illustrated in the drawings, they may be rather widely separated. For thinner tubes it is desirable to bring the outer edges of the cover and annular support relatively close to one another. For thicker tubes, they may be spaced a considerable distance as illustrated in the drawings. The green tube is inflated with only a low pressure of air, such as one-half pound to a pound, and then it is transferred to the vulcanizer. Inflation of thetube prevents the walls from adhering to one another in the vulcanizer, and properly shapes the tube for vulcanization.

What I claim is:

1. A clam-shell type tube-forming ring which includes an annular support which forms the bottom and inside of an annular enclosure, the outer edge of the bottom being inclined upwardly, and a cover which forms the top. of the annular enclosure, the outer edge of which cover is spaced from the outer edge of the support whereby -the outer circumference of a tube in the ring is exposed to view, both said support and cover being seamless and of spun metal, a base to which said support is attached, and at the rear supporting means to which the cover is hingedly attached, a slot extending downwardly from the upper edge of the annular support and a plate with a valve hole in it fastened to the inner surface of the annular support, the location of the plate being ad- 4. justable on the support to position the valve hole at a desired height. 7

2. A clam-she'll type tube-forming ring which includes an annular support and cover both of which are seamless and of spun metal and rolled at each edge, there being a circumferential space between the outer edge of the support and the outer edge of the cover whereby the outer circumference of a tube in the ring is exposed to view, the outer edge of said support extending upwardly so that a tube can be supported thereon, a slot extending downwardly from the upper edge of the annular support and a plate with a valve hole in it fastened to the inner surface of the annular support, the location of the plate being adjustable on the support to position the valve hole at a desired height, a base to which said support is attached, at the rear of the base and on opposite sides two cover supports with pivotal attaching means thereon and the cover attached thereto, two coil springs coaxial with said pivotal attachments, one end of each spring held immovable with respect to the base and the other end held immovable with respect to the cover, whereby the springs tend to keep the .cover open, releasable, spring actuated locking means at the front of the ring for holding the cover closed and means for adjusting the tension of each of said coil springs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,744,339 Smith ...L Jan. 21, 1930 1,989,474 Disney Jan. 29, 1935 2,272,231 Voth Feb. 10, 1942 2,636,338 Dinstman Apr. 28, 1953 2,691,190 Bethe et a1. Oct. 12, 1954 

